Google Cloud and UK government agree to boost public sector innovation
Google Cloud and UK government agree to boost public sector innovation
Google Cloud has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UK Crown Commercial Service (CCS) to boost cloud innovation within the public sector
The agreement between Google Cloud and the CCS aims to make cloud innovation more accessible and affordable to selected public sector bodies, subject to demand and expected spend.
The MoU will also account for access to Google Cloud’s managed and serverless services, including its hybrid and multi-cloud solution, Anthos, which comes with security and compliance features, and would prevent vendor lock-in.
This comes following discussions between the two parties relating to the One Government Cloud Strategy in 2019, an initiative established by CCS, Cabinet Office and Government Digital Service, which entailed requirements for cloud services.
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Eligible government departments, NHS bodies, public funded broadcasters and other agencies will be able to benefit from cloud infrastructure, AI, analytics and other technologies.
Additionally, Google Cloud and CCS will support UK SMEs that have partnerships with public sector agencies, regardless of their cloud journey progress.
“CCS provides commercial agreements which help organisations across the entire public sector save time and money on buying everyday goods and services,” said Simon Tse, chief executive of CCS.
“This MoU with Google Cloud unlocks large-scale business benefits for our customers, and demonstrates CCS’s role in helping the public sector serve UK citizens in more innovative ways.”
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Mark Palmer, head of public sector EMEA at Google Cloud, commented: “This is a significant milestone for us, as we see the results of our focused investment in cloud services and solutions primed and tailored for the public sector.
“The UK public sector is a major focus for Google Cloud, and this is an opportunity to further support Her Majesty’s government in their digital transformation.”
Subsequent dialogue is expected to be maintained regularly between CCS and Google Cloud, ensuring access to the latest innovations for state-funded bodies.